Arlington County In Battle to Friter Away Tax Dollars
Friday’s Washington Post’s Metro section reports the Alexandria City Council unanimously approved “the city's first poet laureate, a position believed to be unprecedented among the region's cities and counties.” The role of the poet laureate is to “integrate poetry into city life by organizing poetry readings and using poetry to celebrate the city's cultural heritage, including its birthday.” The cost? A $500 annual honorarium and “about $3,500 in administrative expenses.”
But not to be outdone, late yesterday afternoon Arlington County released a press release saying the County “used $20,000 in grant funds from the Department of Homeland Security to purchase and supply” a 20-foor trailer as an emergency animal shelter. The trailer will "remain parked" at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, which will operate it for the County.
At times, it really is difficult to find words to describe just how wasteful government can be.